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St. Paul: A rundown on the City Council candidates from Ward 1: Pioneer Press editorial

Pioneer Press

Posted:
10/22/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated:
10/22/2013 07:31:14 PM CDT

There's a lot to like in the lively race for City Council in St. Paul's Ward 1, which includes Frogtown, Summit-University and parts of surrounding neighborhoods.

The crowded field began forming in May, just days after Council Member Melvin Carter III announced that he would leave office for a position with the state Department of Education. Buzz about the seven-way race has been consistent, and welcome, in this DFL-dominated town where campaigns are too often predictable.

The special election Nov. 5 that will fill the remaining two years of Carter's term includes candidates who reflect the city's most diverse neighborhoods. They've prompted discussion of some of the issues that matter most in parts of St. Paul heavily affected by the recession, foreclosure crisis and light-rail construction.

The race also will be an important experience with St. Paul's ranked-choice voting method. On Election Day, voters will choose up to six candidates and rank them in order of preference.

Accordingly, the local Service Employees International Union made two endorsements, listing Dai Thao, who played key roles in several successful recent DFL campaigns, as its first choice and Noel Nix, Carter's council aide, second.

Nix has the endorsement of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee. A special DFL endorsing convention for the Ward 1 race ended in July without an endorsement.

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We're not endorsing, either, but here's a rundown (in alphabetical order) of the candidates:

-- Paul Holmgren: A welcome conservative in the race, Holmgren -- a Minnesota House candidate in 2010 -- was recruited by the St. Paul GOP search committee. He's a homeowner and private citizen who's "not doing this for my personal gain. I pay my bills and balance my checkbook," he told us. "We need that in government." The city, he believes, should examine the cost of government, and whether "we have city staff properly allocated for the needs of the population."

-- Johnny Howard: The Green Party-endorsed community organizer and retired autoworker ran against Carter two years ago and was the first to publicly announce his plans to run for the seat. Howard, who received just under 28 percent of the vote in 2011, is a founder of the Thomas Dale Block Club and a leader of the Frogtown Youth Football Program. Howard said he has a "deep knowledge of the strength and resilience of people here," along with a demonstrated ability to work with everyone, and to negotiate effectively to produce results.

-- Kazoua Kong-Thao: The former member of the St. Paul school board is a veteran of two terms of elective office that make her "ready to serve immediately," she says. She is an experienced collaborator, she said, with considerable cultural competency and constituent service experiences. "Being on the school board guarantees regular contact with the public," she wrote, noting background that includes managing budgets, employee contracts and both short- and long-range planning, including facility maintenance.

-- Debbie Montgomery: The former St. Paul police commander and the city's first female patrol officer was a one-term council member from Ward 1 until Carter defeated her in 2007. Her four years on the council set the lifelong ward resident apart from the other candidates, she told us. Jobs and economic development are key issues, as is education, with the continuing achievement gap and the need to fill future workforce needs. Montgomery has a master's degree in public safety administration and worked for the city as a planner and in other posts before joining the police department.

-- Noel Nix: His work as the ward's legislative aide, Nix said, has given him "both the preparation and the passion to lead on day one." He has "detailed proposals to help us move forward, and the relationships with community leaders and city staff needed to get things done." His master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Minnesota also distinguishes him among the candidates, said Nix, who cites job creation and managing community growth and change along University Avenue, and in our neighborhoods, as key issues facing the ward.

-- Dai Thao: The first-time candidate, an information technology professional, is known for his work in Hmong organizing circles with groups such as TakeAction Minnesota, according to the Pioneer Press' City Hall Scoop blog. Thao, who said he is the most progressive candidate in the race, played key roles in the successful political campaigns of state Rep. Rena Moran and state Sen. Foung Hawj. "I was born in Laos and escaped the communist regime there as a youth. I survived refugee camps in Thailand and came to Minneapolis, where I grew up in a housing project," Thao wrote. "I know what it means to struggle for survival, to work hard to get ahead, to be determined and to have hope."

-- Mark Voerding: The assistant to Ramsey County Commissioner Janice Rettman said he has more than 30 years of experience working for the people of the ward -- and the ability to find creative solutions to problems. Voerding is a graduate of Hamline University with a master's degree in public administration who said he brings experience in resolving citizen problems, along with a full understanding of public finance tools. Included is the ability to sort through the budget to "ascertain whether or not departments meet City Council objectives" and also to find hidden financial resources.

On these pages, we respect all who stand for office and willingly take on the hard work of campaigning. We thank them for bringing their diverse experiences and points of view to the race.